Woakes can come in for any of the seamers if there is a fitness issue, and will probably be competing with Bresnan for the number 7 spot, after going OK in NZ. I'm personally a big fan of picking five specialist bowlers, trying to restrict the opposition as much as possible, then using quality batsman to get the runs. In England with two new balls in use I think it's the best method. Given it worked well for England last summer, I see no reason to change method.

Others might have different players and team set ups in mind though. Discuss.

Completely agree with all of that, especially your opinion on team balance. It's definitely the way to go for ODIs in England, particularly if you have the players to do it - back your top six to chase/set 250-275 batting properly and back a proper full bowling lineup to defend/restrict the opposition to that total with two new balls in English conditions.

It's why England have become so hard to beat at home in ODIs; ODIs in England resemble Test cricket more than anywhere else in the world due to the conditions.

Rejecting 'analysis by checklist' and 'skill absolutism' since Dec '09

Yeah, if you have a decent attack it also means you don't need to score big runs, so can therefore stack your batting line up with test class batsman, and less hit or miss big hitters. England were the only test playing nation to not make 300 in an ODI in 2012, but they also had a record of played 14, won 12.

Agree with that squad but maybe wouldn't have Patel as 3 spinners in the squad in England is a bit much. Perhaps Luke Wright instead or maybe Ben Stokes.

I think it's the right call. Patel isn't really there as a spinner; he's there as a backup middle order bat and alternative balance option. He's actually been quite good with the bat of late in limited overs cricket for England when he's got a game. Tredwell is just there in case Swann gets injured.

I don't really think there are many better alternatives with the bat in limited overs cricket for England. If Pietersen was fit he would be in the squad in Patel's place, but he's not. Maybe in the future Stokes could get in, but I think it's a bit early for that now.

I was thinking more along the lines of a bat who is a part time pace bowler rather than a bat who is a part time spinner. Think there isn't a lot between Patel and Wright with Stokes the young pretender. Be the same for the World Cup down under too, think the fact the balls are both new all the way through negates the spin options a bit.

I was thinking more along the lines of a bat who is a part time pace bowler rather than a bat who is a part time spinner. Think there isn't a lot between Patel and Wright with Stokes the young pretender. Be the same for the World Cup down under too, think the fact the balls are both new all the way through negates the spin options a bit.

Patel has really hit at a decent run-rate coming down the order foe England recently, it is often a part of the game England fail at miserably.

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.Walt Whitman